Consumer Education and Information

Grilling and Smoking Food Safely

Warm weather is the ideal time to cook out. More people cook outdoors in summer than
any other time of the year. But warm temperatures are also ideal for bacteria and other
pathogens to multiply and cause foodborne illness. Use these simple guidelines for
grilling and smoking food safely.

Is There a Difference Between Grilling and
Smoking?

Yes. Grilling is cooking food over direct heat. Its
intensity is similar to broiling, so tender meats and poultry are best for grilling. A
grill is a utensil made of parallel bars on which food is cooked over charcoal, wood, or
special rocks heated by gas or electricity.

Smoking is cooking food indirectly
in the presence of a fire. It can be done in a covered grill if a pan of water is placed
beneath the meat on the grill; and meats can smoked in a "smoker," which is an
outdoor cooker especially designed for smoking foods. Smoking is done much more slowly
than grilling, so less tender meats benefit from this method, and a natural smoke
flavoring permeates the meat.

What is Barbecue?

The cooking method of spit roasting a whole animal over an open fire or
pit is called barbecuing. "Barbecue" is the preferred spelling according to
dictionary and publication style guides. The word origin is the American Spanish word
"barbacoa." Bar-B-Q, barbeque, and B-B-Q are coined words. The word has also
come to describe a flavoring or type of meat dish which has been barbecued or had a
barbecue sauce added.

What is Pit Roasting?

Pit roasting is cooking meat in a large, level hole dug in the earth. Here
is some general information. (For more specific information on pit roasting, contact local
or state extension offices, or a land-grant university.) A hardwood fire is built in the
pit, requiring wood equal to about 2 1/2 times the volume of the pit. The hardwood is
allowed to burn until the wood reduces and the pit is half filled with burning coals. This
can require 4 to 6 hours burning time. The coals are covered with a 2-inch layer of pea
gravel and topped with sand until no coals are visible. The wrapped meat is placed on the
sand. Sometimes water-soaked burlap bags are used to wrap meat, especially a whole pig or
lamb. Then dirt is shoveled over the meat 3 to 4 inches deep to hold in the heat and
steam.

Cooking may require 10 to 12 hours or more, and is difficult to estimate. A
meat thermometer must be used to determine the meat's doneness. There are many
variables such as outdoor temperature, the size and thickness of the meat, and how fast
the coals are cooking.

Getting Ready to Grill

When shopping for meat and poultry to grill, put them in the shopping cart
last, right before checkout. To guard against cross-contamination -- which can happen when
raw meat or poultry juices drip on other foods -- put packages of raw meat and poultry
into plastic bags.

Load meat and poultry into the air-conditioned car -- not the trunk
-- and take the groceries straight home. In the summer, if home is more than a
30-minute drive away, bring a cooler with ice from home and place perishable food in it
for the trip.

At home, place meat and poultry in the refrigerator immediately. Freeze poultry and
ground meat that won't be used in 1 or 2 days; freeze other meat within 4 to 5 days.

Defrosting Meat and Poultry

Completely thaw meat or poultry before grilling so it cooks more evenly.

Use the refrigerator for slow, safe thawing. Foods defrosted in the refrigerator can be
refrozen before or after cooking.

Microwave defrost only if the food will be placed immediately on the grill or in the
oven.

Meat in airtight packaging may be defrosted in cold tap water, changing the water every
30 minutes so it continues to thaw.

Foods defrosted in the microwave or by the cold water method should be cooked before
refreezing because they may potentially have been held at temperatures above 40 °F
allowing harmful bacteria to grow.

Marinate vs. Marinade

These English words come from the Italian word "marinato."

Marinade

(MAIR-uh-naid) is a savory acidic sauce in which a food is soaked to enrich
its flavor or to tenderize it.

Marinate

(MAIR-uh-nait) is a verb which means to steep food in a
"marinade."

Safe Marinating

Some recipes state to marinate meat and poultry for several
hours or days, either to tenderize or add flavor. Acid in the marinade breaks down
connective tissue in meats. This is especially beneficial in lean meats, such as
"Select" grade, which don't have a lot of fat marbling to enhance tenderness.

Always
marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. If some of the marinade is to be
used for basting during cooking or as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion of the
marinade. Don't put raw meat and poultry in it. Don't reuse the marinade from raw meat
or poultry on cooked food unless it's boiled first to destroy any bacteria.

Pre-cooking Meat and Poultry

Some people like to cook food partially in the microwave oven or stove to
reduce grilling time. And some like to partially grill meats to give it that smoky flavor,
and then refrigerate or freeze the food to complete the cooking at a later date.
Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present wouldn't
have been destroyed. If you choose to pre-cook meat or poultry, do so immediately
before grilling. And once food is on the grill, cook until it reaches a safe temperature
as determined with a meat thermometer.

What Type of Cutting Board Should be Used
for Carving Grilled Meats?

Cross-contamination during preparation, grilling, and serving is a prime
cause of foodborne illness. Grilled foods should never be carved on a cutting board which
was just used for cutting up raw meat and poultry. The board would likely bear raw meat
juices which could contain bacteria; it must be thoroughly cleaned before using again.

Consumers
should use plastic or glass surfaces for cutting raw meat and poultry. However, wooden
cutting boards used exclusively for raw meat and poultry are acceptable. Use a
different board for cutting other foods such as produce and bread. This will prevent
bacteria from a raw meat or poultry product from contaminating another food that will not
be further cooked.

Both wooden and plastic cutting boards can be cleaned in a dishwasher; washed in hot,
soapy water; or sanitized with a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach. Flood the
surface with the bleach solution and allow it to stand for several minutes. Then rinse and
air dry or pat dry with fresh paper towels. Cutting boards wear out over time. Once
cutting boards become excessively worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves, they should be
discarded.

Grilling Away from Home

When carrying food to a picnic site, keep it cold to minimize bacterial
growth. If take-out foods such as fried chicken or barbecued beef will be reheated on the
grill, and they won't be eaten within 2 hours of pickup, buy them ahead of time and chill
thoroughly.

Use an insulated cooler with sufficient ice or ice packs to keep the food at 40 °F.
Then pack food right from the refrigerator into the cooler immediately before leaving
home.

In the car, keep the cooler in the air-conditioned passenger compartment; at the picnic,
in the shade or shelter.

Avoid opening the cooler's lid, which lets cold air out and warm air in. Pack beverages
in one cooler and perishables in another cooler.

When handling raw meat, remove from the cooler only the amount that will fit on the
grill.

Handling Meat Safely

Pack clean, soapy sponges, cloths, and wet towelettes for cleaning
surfaces and hands. Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters to keep raw
foods and their juices separate from cooked foods.

Don't use the same platter and
utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Any bacteria present in raw meat or juices
can contaminate the safely cooked meat. This is a prime cause of foodborne illness.

Proper Cooking Equipment

For grilling and smoking, buy good quality charcoal, briquettes, or
aromatic wood chips. Set the grill or smoker in a well-lit, well-ventilated area away from
trees, shrubbery, and buildings. Only use approved fire starters -- never gasoline or
paint thinner, for example. Cook foods in grills made of materials approved for contact
with meat and poultry. Don't grill or smoke foods in makeshift containers such as
galvanized steel cans or other materials not intended for cooking. Chemical residue
contamination can result.

Personal Safety Information

Keep children and pets away from the fire. Have a squirt bottle of water
nearby to control flare-ups. Don't wear baggy clothes. Use flame-resistant mitts, hot
pads, and cooking utensils with long handles.

Building a Fire

Follow the manufacturer's directions for igniting charcoal or preheating a
gas or electric outdoor cooker. Let charcoal get red hot with gray ash -- about 10 to 20
minutes depending upon the quantity. Spread out the charcoal under the grilling surface or
bank it around the drip pan for smoking. Replenish charcoal if necessary for grilling. Add
about 15 briquettes every hour to maintain 225 to 300 °F in a smoker. For hickory-smoked
flavor, add 1/2 cup water-soaked wood chips or flakes during the last 30 minutes of
smoking.

Grilling and Smoking Times

Cooking time depends on many factors: type of meat; its size and shape;
distance of food from the heat; the temperature of the coals; and the weather.

When reheating take-out foods or fully cooked meats like hot dogs, grill to 165 °F, or
until steaming hot.

Safe Smoking Techniques

Grilling slowly over indirect heat in a closed
charcoal cooker is called "smoking." It is used to add flavor to large cuts of
meat and keep them tender. It can require up to 8 hours, depending on the meat's size and
the outdoor air temperature.

Use high quality charcoal to build a hot fire. Pile about
50 briquettes in the center, and when they are covered with grey ash, push them into two
piles. Center a pan of water between the two piles.

Center the food on the grill over the water pan, close the lid, and keep the grill
vents open. Add about 10 briquettes every hour to maintain the temperature in the smoker
at 225 to 300 °F for safety. Wood chips such as mesquite are used for additional flavor.
Using dry chips at the start creates a fast smoke; wet them later for sustained heat.

Use a meat thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature.

Keeping Grilled Meat Hot

After cooking meat and poultry on the grill --
at home or on a picnic -- keep it hot until served. Outdoors, keep the cooked meats hot by
setting them to the side of the grill rack, not directly over the coals where they would
eventually overcook.

At home, the cooked meat can be kept hot in a 200 °F oven, in a
chafing dish or slow cooker, or on a warming tray. Hold hot, cooked food at 140 °F or
warmer.

Serving the Food Safely

When taking food off the grill, don't put the
cooked items on the same platter which held the raw meat. Any bacteria present in the raw
meat juices could contaminate the safely cooked meat or other grilled foods. In hot
weather (90 °F and above), food should never sit out for more than 1 hour.

Handling LeftoversSafely

At home, store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer within 2 hours of
taking food off the grill. Leftovers that have been off the grill for less than 1 hour can
be safely transported home in a cooler -- if there's plenty of ice in it. Discard any food
left out more than 2 hours (1 hour in hot weather -- 90 °F or above).

Does Grilling Pose a Cancer Risk?

Some studies have suggested there may be a cancer risk related to eating
food cooked by such high heat cooking techniques as grilling, frying, and broiling. Based
on present research findings, eating moderate amounts of grilled meats like fish, meat,
and poultry cooked without charring to a safe, yet medium temperature does not pose a
problem. To avoid charring, microwave meat partly done immediately before placing it on
the grill and remove visible fat than can drip on the coals and cause a flame-up.

For additional food safety information about meat, poultry, or eggs, call the toll-free
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1 (800) 535-4555; Washington, DC area, (202) 720-3333;
TTY: 1 (800) 256-7072. It is staffed by home economists, registered dietitians, and food
technologists weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time, year round. An extensive
selection of food safety recordings can be heard 24 hours a day using a touch-tone phone.

Always use a meat thermometer to be sure meats and poultry are cooked to a safe
internal temperature and doneness. For approximate cooking times for use in meal planning,
see the following chart compiled from various resources. Times are based on meat at
refrigerator temperatures. Remember that outdoor grills can vary in heat. When using a
barbecue sauce, apply during the last 15 to 30 minutes of grilling to prevent excess
browning or burning.

NOTE: When using indirect heat (smoking), the grill must be covered with its lid.